Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-08-26
GATHERING VANILLA.
How tho Indians of Mexico Cultivate the
Plant aud Prepare 1t for Market.

How tho Indians of Mexico Cultivate the
Plant aud Prepare 1t for Market.
The vanilla plant is found native in
Mexico. South America and the West
Indies. but it is only in the wild val
leys near the eastern coast Of the first
mentioned country that the vanilla
bean is found possessing the charac-
teristic which makes it valuable for the
use OF man. In the other countries it
attains no perfection, and is practically
worthless The vanilla is an orchid,
and is cultivated rudely by the Next
can Indians, and by them brought into
the seaports and marketed, very large
ly in Vera Cruz. Of the great natural
beauties and wonderful tropical feat
ures, especially the profuse tropical
vegetation of Mexico, the reader has
doubtless heard or read. In the great
valley of Mazatlan--an immense sunken
hole in the ground, II depression of
more than six thousand feet in its i'm
mediate surroundings, where every
manifestation of nature is on ground
scale. vegetation unrivaled in luxuri-
ance and beauty. ferns being found
| there seventy feet in height-in this
valley vanilla dourishes in wild
state. and here the supply of that flaw
oring for the chocolate of Montezuma
was obtained and the region round
about is the vanilla center Of the world.
Nothing can exceed the jealousy OF the
natives in guarding its production
from the eyes or the cognizance of the
outside world, and all the peculiari-
ties of Mexican outdoor life are Illus
tlated in the brigandage which both
protects and preys upon the industry.
But few whites ever penetrate to Ma
zatlan. and it is only at great risk OF
life and lavish outlay that excursions
are ever made to that point Few caro-
to attempt the adventure.
The Indians cultivate by tying the
plant to Il shrub, when. being an
orchid, it vegetables upon the air. Fol-
the first four years of its life it bears NJ
fruit, and after that continues in bear
. ing until fifteen years old. The bios
SONS are in clusters, somewhat re
sembling lilacs, but white in color, an(
: Of the most powerful perfume, simila
| to tuberoses. The green fruit, or beans
, depend from stock, clustered lik'
bananas. which they nearly resemble
in size every way while the fruit /
5 green. 1t is gathered when not quit
$ ripe. but before the harvesting tn
g beans have diminished two or three OF
n y stock. These green beans, whe
G gathered, weigh from sixty to seventy
e tive pounds per one thousand the
o are handled and sold by thousands
It but dwindle in the process of curing
V so that their weight finally
d but from ten TO fourteen pounds pc
y one thousand, and shrink from an inch
IS or rarely two inches, in circumference
a to an attcnuated pod not much large
d than pipa-stem.
= To cure properly requires abot
e ninety days time, and the manipul'
Ie ion is almost infinite, each bean bein
n handled critically from three hundre
rs five hundred times in the process /
e. he Indians The green beans. rs gait
ty cred are disposed of in layers-first
rs aver of beans and then IA blanket, an
S, 80 on Till Il pile is formed of alterna
t. layers of beans and blankets. This
or allied the sweating process, and durir
~ Is continuance the piles are turn,
en- rwo three time day, until most
ct he water has been ''sweated" ou
an rhis process is followed by drying
I'll The sun, and here the natives exerci
al he utmost care and attention. VIII,
an inishcd the beans are to be the color
es / very dark cigar. -American Anaiy